It was released by Jive Records on March 21, Prior to the release of the album, the band separated from their management Trans Continental and their label RCA Records ; its title is a play on the idea of independence from corporate control.
After several delays due to legal battles, No Strings Attached was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics , many of whom praised the production. The album debuted atop the US Billboard chart with first-week sales of 2.
Four singles were released from the album. Its lead single " Bye Bye Bye " is credited with creating the hype for the album's eventual landmark success. No Strings Attached was the best selling album of NSYNC were considered to be influential in crossing over music genres, which helped distinguish themselves from the Backstreet Boys, and inspire other boy bands to experiment with different genres of music while expressing their originality.
The title of the album alludes to puppets and the idea of independence NSYNC earned following a legal battle between its then-management. Pearlman , due to illicit corporate practices. They cited Pearlman's defrauding the group, which, according to MTV , was more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits. NSYNC filed a countersuit in response, with member JC Chasez calling Pearlman "an unscrupulous, greedy and sophisticated businessman who posed as an unselfish, loving father figure and took advantage of our trust".
The judge, Anne C. Conway rejected Pearlman and BMG's injunction, stating that "the defendants have raised serious questions [ Pearlman and his dealings". The album's title was thought of by member Chris Kirkpatrick during a car ride in London after the settlement, where they were inspired by the song " I've Got No Strings " from the film, Pinocchio. According to him, the album was designed to show that they felt they were puppets stranded in strings, which alludes to their destiny being controlled.
